


A Fragment.

by ConfusedUnit



Series: Ad Infinitum [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2019-01-25 12:17:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12531172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfusedUnit/pseuds/ConfusedUnit
Summary: This is a collection of drabbles that I wrote in December of 2016 for a self imposed challenge I called the 'Twelve Days of Ficmas'. I am keeping them as one work instead of a collection for my own personal ease of use.





	1. 1

[Angst. Involves Hanzo, Genji. Fighting, blood,  ~~temporary~~  character death.]

* * *

It is quiet, in the room he and his brother share. What was once a request for companionship had become a requirement, though neither of the brothers minded too much.

The brother lounged on his bed, adjusting the armor that kept his hair in place. “I know we need to get some sleep, tonight, but...” The brother looked over. “Would you mind if I played some of my game first?”

“Where did you even get that system?” He asked, tilting his head.

“I stole it.”

“What?” He didn’t believe this, and it showed in his tone.

“Kidding!” The brother laughed, stretching his arms. “I bought it with my pocket money.” The brother pulled out the system, resting it on his chest. “Could you imagine it? Me, stealing something like that?”

“No, I could not. That is why I was shocked.” He rolled his eyes, adjusting how he lied in bed.

 ~~The world almost seemed to shimmer around them, and~~ he blinks. Blinked.

He pushed himself up to sitting, looking over at his brother.

The brother, still a boy at heart and actions, rested against the bed. He held the game device over his face, smirking. His green hair fluttered-  ~~flutters-~~  in the light breeze from the window.

He  ~~sits-~~  sat there, taking in the sight of his brother.

~~Whole, one part of him provides. Alive. Unwounded.~~

He takes-  ~~took~~  a moment, before watching the storm roll in. “...Genji.”

The brother looked up. “Yes,? What is it, Hanzo?”

They’re wearing-  ~~wore- used to wear-~~  similar clothes, matching sets of white and orange, as if a part of each outfit was always with the other.  ~~He always liked that part.~~

He takes a breath. “...No matter what happens tomorrow...”

“Hey, don’t worry!” The brother  ~~smirked-~~  smirks. “I won’t take it personally if I lose the duel.” The brother chuckles. “As long as you don’t, if I win!”

He smiles faintly, for a moment, before he sighs. “...Genji...whatever happens tomorrow...do not fight on my behalf, alright? Promise me.”

The brother raises an eyebrow, tone lowering. “...There’s something else going on, isn’t there?”

He slumps against the bed. “I cannot tell you.”

“Hanzo!”

“Just- trust me, Genji. You will know when the moment arrives. When it does...focus on yourself. Not me.”

“Hanzo...”

“Get some sleep, when you’re done with your game.” He rolls over and closes his eyes.

He hears his brother adjust on his bed, letting out a sigh, before the light music from the game flows through the room.

> \--

Hanzo’s breathing is rough, as he holds the sword to the side. Blood has splattered against his clothes, and he’s not sure who’s it is. He isn’t sure if it matters.

Genji stands nearby, breathing just as roughly. His hair is slicked with blood,  ~~a sick contrast of red against green~~ , which drips from the sword posed over his head. He lets it fall to a more practical grip, smirking. “Well now, I guess you really are taking this seriously!” He laughs, smiling. “We’re almost at a draw, I would think. Ready to give up yet?”

Hanzo lowers his head, closing his eyes. He does not move.

The green haired boy blinks, concern on his face. “Brother-”

A loud voice, from the group watching the boys, shouts. “Enough!” They look over to Hanzo. “Finish it.”

He starts to shake.

Genji blinks, looking around. “What are you talking about?”

“Finish it, young master.” The voice becomes louder. “We will, if you do not!”

“Finish what? We’ve had draws before! Why is that a problem now?” Genji continues looking around.

“He refuses to take even this seriously!”

Hanzo finally looks up at his brother, barely able to hold back tears. He moves into a fighting stance once more.

Genji watches him for a moment, shock washing over him, before he finally understands. “...They want you to kill me.”

“I-”

“I know, Hanzo.” He adjusts his stance, taking a breath. “I hope you know I won’t go easy on you.”

For a moment, Hanzo almost wants to smile. “I would hope you wouldn’t.” He pauses, a breath, before rushing forward.

The brother’s swords clash against each other, again and again, like angered bells alongside their movements. Every so often, a cry of pain flows from the lips of one, causing the other just as much pain to their hearts as the wound. They feel the essence of their dragons flow through them, as they battle.

~~**‘You must fight,’**  The spirit whispers to the Sparrow.  **‘You cannot give up! Survive!’**~~

**‘You will win,’**  The spirits whisper to the Master. ‘ **You must not give up! Succeed!’**

Hanzo staggers back.  **I cannot,**  he thinks,  **I cannot win this.**

Genji raises an eyebrow. “Hanzo? Are you-”

An arrow flies from the crowd, barely missing Genji’s head. “Finish it!” The voice shouts again, another arrow flying towards the boy.

He dives forward, rolling towards his brother. He jumps to his feet, holding up his blade to protect himself from the crowd.

Hanzo looks at his brother, who now faces away from him.

 **‘A prime target,’**  whisper the spirits,  **‘now is the time!’**

He takes a breath, raising his sword-

“Finish this!” The voice shouts again, another arrow flying for-

Hanzo shoves his brother to the side, blocking the arrow with his sword. “ **No.** ”

Everything stops. The young master, heir of Shimada, stands defiant in the middle of the room, glaring at all those watching. He is injured, barely standing, but filled with a boiling rage. The sparrow lies crumpled at his feet, behind him, breathing rough and terrified, his clothes more red than white. Two arrows have pierced the tapestry behind them, the third cracked and sticking out of the ground. Those watching are in various states of shocked.

Everything begins again, many angry voices shouting to be heard. One rises above the din. “What did you say?”

Hanzo grits his teeth, glaring at the voice. “I said, no!” He holds the sword in front of him, ready to fight, despite his rapidly fading energy. “I will not stand here and kill my brother! The fact you think that I could astounds me!”

“Brother-” Genji is trying to stand, trying to push himself up, but he keeps falling back to the floor.

“Genji.” He glances behind him. “...Stay back.”

The realization floods his face again, and he nods, trying to scoot away.

A nearby arrow stops him from continuing his attempts.

Hanzo turns around again, glaring.

“You dare to defy a direct order?” The voice almost seems to be booming around them.

“You are not my father! You will never be the leader, in my eyes!” He knows that he is doomed. He was, as soon as he decided to protect Genji. Now...it is just a matter of how long it will take him to die. “I am the next of kin! I am the new master!”

“You are nothing!”

An arrow flies out from, and he barely manages to send it to the floor.

“Brother, look out! Hanzo!”

Two more fly, and he is unable to dodge them. He lets out a cry, at the wound to his arm and shoulder. The blade falls to the ground, and he looks up, fear in his eyes. “No-” He dives forward, trying to grab the blade with his other hand, but another arrow catches him, sending him tumbling to the floor.

“Hanzo!” Genji tries once again to push himself to his feet, even as two men step forward and yank Hanzo upright again. “Let go!”

Hanzo cries out in pain, as he’s lifted, the tight grips on his arms the only thing grounding him through it. He looks up into the face of the loudmouth, the ‘leader’, with a mix of pain and anger.

“You think it is your right to challenge me? Challenge my decisions? Challenge the decision of your father to leave me in charge?”

“He was never like you.” Hanzo snarls, clenching his fists. “He would never have asked this of me!”

An arrow is held at his neck, barely pressing against his throat. “That is because he was a coward. Just like your brother.” A chuckle. “Just like you.”

“I am not a coward. You, are the coward.”

The arrow is removed, and the figure back away. “...Deal with him.”

Shock fills his eyes. “What-”

Genji lets out a cry. “No!”

The arrows his before Hanzo can even react, lodging deep into his flesh. He doesn’t even realize he’s screaming, until he feels his voice break. He falls limp, gasping for breath, pain threatening to overwhelm him.

Genji is screaming behind him, demanding that they let him go, begging for them to stop. 

 **‘Give in,’**  a voice whispers to Hanzo, and he feels the glow of a spirit that is not one of his own. It feels warm, safe...calm.  **‘Let yourself rest.’**

As soon as Hanzo is dropped, Genji is there, pulling him into his arms. He slowly looks up at him. “...Genji...?” His vision is blurry, blood and sweat dripping down his face.

“Hanzo!” He pulls him close. “Please- breathe- just hold on, for me, please!”

A rough laugh falls from his lips. “You...be strong.”

“Brother!!” His voice cracks. “Don’t leave me here alone!”

“I...believe in you, Genji.” Hanzo smiles, as he feels himself start to numb. “You will be a good force, in life.” His voice is quiet. “I am...sorry I could not protect you longer.”

“Brother, please...”

He can’t speak, but he feels the spirits surround the two of them.  **‘Be safe,’**  one whispers between the two.  **‘Keep fighting,’**  another adds.

As Hanzo fades away, he doesn’t feel any more pain. But the sound of his brother crying above him, begging for him to stay...that cuts wounds into his soul.

* * *

Hanzo abruptly startles awake, sitting up. He places a hand on his chest, breathing rough, heartbeat wild.

It takes him a few minutes to calm enough to remember where he is.

A rundown hotel in some backwater city, is where he is, hiding from the remnants of his family for running away after committing a horrible act of murder.

He groans, flopping back against the pillows. He really doesn’t want to think about that, right now. Not that there’s much else to think about, but...

He presses his hands into his eyes, before looking around the room. Maybe, if he’s lucky, an assassin will be there to kill him. That will stop the nightmares, surely.

He takes a breath. It’s been two years since his crime. His real crime, he adds, not the one they claim he has committed. Is it even possible to commit treason when it is a ‘family’? He’s pretty sure his title of ‘traitor’ is bullshit, in that case. He blinks a few times, before resting back against the bed.  **No such luck.**

**“Have a nightmare again?”  
**

To his credit, the voice doesn’t startle him, this time. With him already being so on edge, he’s not sure anything could startle him, at the moment. “Go away.”

**“I think what you need right now is company. Was it the same one as last time?”**

“I think I need to go back to sleep. Go away.” He rolls away from where he’s hearing the voice, forcing his eyes shut.

 **“Hey! Don’t try to tune me out!”**  The voice seems to move to be in front of him.  **“Brother, please talk to me about this.”**

He opens his eyes and stares at the empty space in front of him. “Leave me alone, Genji.” He rolls over again.

**“...Fine. But I’ll expect you to talk with me later!”**

“As if there’s anything else for me to do...”

Hanzo presses his hands against his eyes, trying to ignore the voice that continues babbling in the background. The voice of his dead little brother. Who he killed.

He wonders, for a moment, if this is what Hell is like, before he finally falls back asleep. ~~~~


	2. 2

[Short. The start of ‘honoring’ Genji. Involves Hanzo. No violence.]

* * *

It’s been three years since the Event.

That is what leads Hanzo to the gates of his home that evening. He scrambles up the wooden wall, just as he used to practice. Perched at the top, he takes a look around.  **No guards. Hmm.**

He quietly lands on the ground, making his way through the gardens. He scales the buildings with ease, climbing through the window into the room he once shared with his brother. He narrows his eyes, as he notices a change from the time he saw it last. While his items are still where he left them...Genji’s are gone.  **Of course** , he lets out the softest of sighs,  **they stored his things.**

He moves further into the room, gathering up clothes and other items into a bag. He had left them behind in a blind panic when he ran, and now that he could claim them, he was glad to do so.

He moves to the closet, moving clothes out of the way to get to the back. There are two cases, affixed to the wall.

One of them is empty.

He narrows his eyes.  **They even took his blades for storage? Or did they just pass them off to someone else** \- He forces himself to stop that train of thought. It will help no one.

He unlatches the other case, gently removing a bow and quiver of arrows.  **At least they left this...**  He attaches both to his back, before moving over to the window. He pauses once more, looking over to his desk. He pockets a photo, before climbing out again.

His next stop is the scene of the crime, and he’s glad when no one is there either. He moves forward, kneeling before the tapestry, before the sword that was used to do the deed. He sets the items in place, in front of him, just as he’s imagined doing for years.

He closes his eyes and meditates.

He does not know how long he remains there, but as the incense starts to burn low, he hears footsteps and voices approaching. He pushes himself to his feet, taking off to the side of the building. His feet almost seem to skim along the wooden planks, before he takes a running leap and scrambles up the stone.

He had wanted to make one more stop, but he can already hear people shouting where he had just been, and he can’t afford to push his luck. He spares a glance to the family graveyard, before he takes off once more, scaling the wall and dropping down the other side.

He moves through the streets with purpose, only relaxing once he’s sure he’s blended in with the crowd.

He realizes, with great sadness, that while he was home...he felt the most alive he’s felt in years.


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I started writing these drabbles, I actually forgot that the walled off area next to Shimada Castle was actually just kind of a valley. Because of this, I refer to it as a 'bay' or as if it is not actually walled off, and filled with water. Due to this, in this drabble and all parts of the series after this, it will be treated as if the water has been painstakingly carved through the surrounding area so that the castle may have the water.  
> So minorly canon divergent, I suppose.

[A visit to Hanamura. Involves Hanzo and Genji. Fighting.]

* * *

 

Hanzo’s breathing is rough, as he presses himself against the wall of the building he’s scaled.

 **“Wow, I think this is a new record. Two at once, Hanzo?”**  Genji’s voice ‘helpfully’ reminds him.

“Shut up immediately-” He whispers, glancing around quickly. He prepares an arrow, pointing in the direction he had last seen one of the assassins.

**“What, not a fan of in fight commentary?”**

“I cannot hear them when you are speaking!” He startles, as he heard a door slam open behind him. He leaps to the side, away from the window.

An arrow pierces the wall across from where he just stood.

**“Nice dodge.”**

“Be silent!” He moves quickly, leaping through the window. He rolls forward, slamming into the attacker as he pushes back up to his feet. With the man unsteady, he wraps his arms around him, leaping backwards. Once he nears the window, he lets go of the man, shoving him through.

The clattering of tiles, a scream, and a splash, float through the window as he tries to catch his breath.

**“I think that earned him a three out of ten, for such a shitty dive. Thoughts?”**

He glares to the side, before climbing out the window. “I think he should stay out of our room.”

**“Good call.”**

He blinks, going back inside.

**“...What are you doing?”**

“I left the door open.” He closes it, before glancing over to the closet. Something’s felt...off to him the recent years, every time he enters this room. He opens the closet, moving to the back of it.

**“You...do remember there’s still someone else on your tail, right?”**

“Hold on.” He pulls a photo out of his pocket, looking at it for a moment. He smiles, faintly, at the joy on his brothers face, on the contentment he knows he was feeling when it was taken. He looks back up at Genji’s case, before setting it inside. “Figured...you’ve got more use for this than me.”

 **“That’s...sweet. I think.”**  The voice pauses.  **“Now get the fuck out of here before they catch you.”**

“I’m going, I’m going.” He looks once more at the photo, nostalgia rolling off of him in waves, before he sprints to the window and leaps out onto the roof.

...

When he comes back a few months later, the case is locked. And the photo is gone.


	4. 4

[Hanzo collects things. Involves Hanzo and Genji. Short.]

* * *

 

Hanzo has a collection.

He doesn’t realize, at first, that he’s doing it. He gathers items that remind him of his brother. Things he liked, games he wanted...feathers, sometimes. He keeps them all in a bag he carries with him. He doesn’t notice for years.

He goes into pawn shops, from time to time. Sometimes, he leaves with a book. Sometimes he leaves with nothing. And sometimes, he finds something, a little stuffed animal, or an old game cartridge Genji had said he always wanted, and he buys it before he even realized he’s got it in his hands.

Ten years after the Event, at thirty four, he realizes just what kind of a collection he’s amassed.

When he visits home, that year, he leaves a few items in Genji’s locker: the stuffed animals, a pen in the shape of a character he liked from his childish shows, a bootleg copy of a game he had expressed amusement with.

A few months later, he returns to check. And the locker is empty.

He keeps placing things there, more items some days than others. Always, without fail, a month or so later...the items are gone.

Except for the feathers. Whoever’s clearing out Genji’s stuff for him seems to have a sick sense of humor, because the more feathers that are left, the bigger a nest is made out of them in the locker.

 **“Creepy.”**  Genji’s voice provides, one visit.

“Thank you, for your obvious statement.” Hanzo rolls his eyes, before blinking at a note on the back of the locker.

_‘Why do you leave these things?’_

The note is printed from a computer, so he has no handwriting to go off of.

He leaves a few items, and doesn’t return for several months.


	5. 5

[Hanzo needs assistance. Featuring Hanzo and Genji.]

* * *

 

Hanzo’s legs hurt very badly.

He realizes this abruptly one day, in a hotel somewhere in Dorado. He’s been ignoring it for years, but it’s really starting to catch up to him now. It’s gotten to the point where he even struggles to walk. Running has become an almost impossibility, and climbing is completely out of the question.

He realizes, with alarm, that he isn’t sure just how much longer he has. Almost six years, since the implants, with no maintenance. He’s surprised he’s lasted this long.

 **“It’s getting dangerous, brother.”**  The phantom voice of Genji decides to speak up.  **“You will not be able to escape, if caught.”**

“Let them catch me.” He slides the blanket off of his legs, pulling one closer to examine it. “It will be what I deserve.”

**“You keep saying this, and yet...you do not let any of them kill you.”**

He narrows his eyes. “If they kill me, they must deserve the kill. It would be-”

**“-’a disservice for me if you were to go quietly’, yeah, I know. Convince yourself as much as you want, we both know your real reason for not giving up.”**

He’s quiet, as he focuses on the plates in his lower leg.

 **“Hanzo.”**  The voice he knows cannot be real moves to his side.  **“You must get that fixed. There is no room for debate.”**

“It is too far to travel.”

**“You can get plane tickets.”**

“It costs too much.”

**“You have plenty of credits to spare.”**

“It is too dangerous.”

**“If you keep putting this off, you will die.”**

The serious tone to the voice startles him, and he looks over. He feels a pang of disappointment when there’s no one there.

 **“You will either be caught, fall, becomes trapped, or worse, if you do not take care of this.”**  Genji’s voice twists, some, sliding into something more harsh, more biting. It is a tone that makes him feel ill, hearing it in his little brother’s voice.  **“Could you imagine that? You, Hanzo Shimada, found dead in your hotel room because your legs gave out and you starved to death. Oh! Or Hanzo Shimada falling to his death, because his legs couldn’t take a landing and they snapped! Or-”**

“Enough!” He’s thought of all of these possibilities far too much on his own. “I will do it.”

 **“Good!”**  Genji chuckles, and his voice snaps back to his normal tone, as if it had never changed in the first place.  **“You always were stubborn, but I’m glad you’ve learned how to listen to reason.”**

He pulls the blanket back over himself, hoping he can finally get some sleep.

* * *

 

It takes three weeks, for Hanzo to make it back to Hanamura, and he’s sure he’s running out of time. Barely able to stagger along, he finally gives in and rents a chair to get around the city in. He feels embarrassed, as he makes his way through the crowds. To have taken so little care of himself, that he cannot even hobble along...There is a part of him, still in the mindset of the young master he once was, that feels shame.

That part of him is quickly ignored.

When he finally makes his way to the small shop, there are no other customers. The owner smiles and walks over, waving to him. After he explains what he needs, and unwraps his legs, her eyes widen. She looks up at him in fear, as she realizes who he is.

It takes a lot of discussion, a few promises, three hours, and five thousand more credits than he was hoping for, but he walks out of the shop reinvigorated. He’s thirty, now, but as he walks down the streets of Hanamura, he feels as healthy as he was when he was twenty five.

He moves to the side of the street, as the realization hits him. He’s thirty. It’s been almost seven years since the Event, and here he is, repaired. He looks at his reflection in a nearby window.

He cut his bangs long ago, too familiar - too easy to recognize, though one side has started to grow back into a point. His hair is pulled back, though into a bun, as opposed to the ponytail he’s been wearing it in recently. Already, he can see grey hairs sprouting up. He’s surprised he doesn’t have more, at this point. The scars on his face have faded, and the scruff growing on his chin helps to hide them.

He narrows his eyes at his reflection. “...I look awful.” He mumbles.

 **“Some people would call that sophisticated, brother.”**  Genji ‘helpfully’ provides.

“Well, some people are idiots.” He starts off down the street, again.

**“I’m sure there has to be someone out there who would like your look, brother.”**

Oh gods. “Really?” He rolls his eyes. “Are we doing this now?”

**“Why not?”**

“Because this is unneeded and unnecessary. I am disheveled and filthy. Stop this train of thought immediately.”

 **“Fine, have it your way.”**  Genji chuckles.  **“I’m sure you’ll find a look of you own, one day.”**

He smirks for a moment, before it falls.

Genji seems to understand.  **“...You know, I kinda miss your old look.”**

He sighs, entering the airport once more. “...Me too.”


	6. 6

[Hanzo almost gets himself killed, for the first time, on his own. Involves Hanzo and Genji and noodle dragons.]

* * *

 

Hanzo is jolted back into consciousness, by the alarming realization that he wasn’t conscious in the first place.

Where is he? He can’t quite remember. He smells salt water and wood, the faint scent of sakura flowers mixed with the stronger scent of mud. He knows he must know this place, but he can’t get himself to open his eyes.

He hurts so badly.

He barely gets a moment to think about that, before he’s thrown through the air. Had he been on the ground? He guesses he must have been, just as he slams down again. He can feel his pulse in his head, his arms, his back - he almost feels like he’s on fire, but he knows he’s too cold for that to be the case.

He hears vague voices off in the distance. Certain parts are clear enough for him to catch; ‘traitor’ and ‘worthless’ and ‘spineless mutt’ stick out the most.

 **Oh.**  He thinks to himself.  **Hanamu...Shima...Home. Must be home. Why?**  His breath is shaky, and as his chest expands he feels an immense amount of pain.  **How...What year is it...**

**“Hanzo!”**

The panicked cry jolts to the front of his mind.  **Brother...?**

**“Get up! For fuck’s sake- get up right now!”**

**How...**  He groans, trying to think.  **Oh. Dream.**

 **“This isn’t a fucking dream!”**  Genji’s voice is almost screaming through the din, and yet...it sounds...off. He doesn’t quite understand.  **“You have to get up right now!”**

**Can’t...Don’t think, anyway...**

**“You fool!”**  For a moment, he almost thinks he hears his own voice replace his brother’s.  **“Get up!”**

**No-**

His thoughts are distracted by the two voices getting closer again. Something about...’torture’ and ‘brat’ and ‘make him pay’. Still talking about him, he assumes. He wishes they’d stop doing that.

 **“-will die!”**  The voice, a mix of his brother’s and his own, is screaming at him again. What does it want now?  **“You have to leave, or they will kill you!”**

He groans again, as he feels someone grab him by his upper arms and start to drag him. **Can’t...**

 **“Do not dare give up! Do you hear me??** ” The voice amalgamation continues.  **“You have to fight, Hanzo! You have to get away! You have to survive!”**

 _‘Fight!’_  One of the dragon spirits agrees, and he can feel it wind off of his shoulder.

The men dragging him let out startled cries.

 _‘Survive!’_  The other adds, coiling around his chest.

He hasn’t felt their energy, their guidance, in years. He smirks, eyes still closed, breathing still rough, as he mumbles the words. He hears laughter flow from his own lips, as he hears and feels the dragons get to work.

* * *

 

Hanzo again startles awake, confused, trying to figure out when he passed out. He can’t recall, but he feels a weight on his chest, and he hears someone calling out to him.

 **“-ke up! Brother- please, you have to wake up-”**  It’s Genji, again, sounding more worried than he has any right to.

“What...” Hanzo mumbled, a smirk on his face. “Not in the mood to see me yet?”

**“There you are! Get up! You’ve gotta get out of here!”**

He feels a nudging at his side, and he pushes himself to open his eyes. “...Holy shit.”

**“Yeah, that’s one way to put it.”**

He is on the floor, at the side of Shimada Castle that faces the bay, on one of the decks. He is injured - bleeding, bruised, concussion likely, but he doesn’t feel like anything’s broken - but alive.

The same cannot be said for his two attackers, their dragon tattoos blending with their blood as they lay in crumpled heaps.

**“The dragons really took care of them, this time.”**

Oh. That explains the pressure on his chest, and he looks down at the small glowing creatures. “...Off.”

They slide off of him quickly, before pushing from behind to get him to sit up. He winces, but he lets them move him.

**“They know you’re here, Hanzo. They know, really and truly know, that you’re alive. You have to leave, or they’ll send more to finish the job.”**

He struggles to his feet, chuckling softly. “Since when are you the reasonable one?”

A soft chuckle echoes back.  **“Since you needed me to be.”**  There’s something in Genji’s tone, but he doesn’t push it.

“Well...glad for it, at least.” He makes his way to the edge of the deck, looking down. “...Hey Genji, remember the time you dared me to jump off this thing?”

**“Don’t you dare-”**

The sound of shouting from inside the castle interrupts the argument before it can start.

**“...Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you!”**

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Never do.” He takes a breath. “Dragons? Guide me.”

As the small glowing spirits slide off the deck, he follows them, diving into the water below.


	7. 7

[Angst. Hanzo is...introspective? In thought. Involves Hanzo, Genji. (Warning for possible dissociation-like thoughts, brief mentions of suicidal thoughts. This drabble’s a bit more heavy than the others.)]

* * *

 

Hanzo is breaking.

He can feel it, as he wants the halls of Shimada Castle. He’s changes, physically and mentally, and he can never be the same. He has never quite understood how people could change so drastically from who they were, but now that he’s living it, he feels ill.

Who even was he, before?

He’s been raised this way, changed slowly over the years to be exactly what the Shimada’s want - no,  _need_ , for their empire. Was he ever not that? Was there a time, when he was young, that he was able to be a child? Able to be anything but a loyal person?

Without his orders, what is he?  _Who_  is he?

The question hits him more and more, recently. Does he have a life? Or is being subservient, a ‘leader’ controlled from the shadows, all that is left for him?

Does he deserve any better?

Did he deserve it in the first place? All the lies, the carefully constructed charade of a childhood that he was convinced was real?

Who is Hanzo Shimada?

Is he a loyal follower, content to let others control him so he may have the power he was promised since birth, even as he now sees through their lies? Is he a man, fed up with the lack of control, willing to fight to discover who he is?

Is he a dragon, now a man, doomed to be stuck in a loop of power grabbing for the rest of his soul’s existence?

He takes a rough breath, running his hands over his face, willing himself to hold back tears. He’s not sure when he ended up back in his room, but he is glad for it, for the privacy. Even with all the memories the room holds, that threaten to swallow him whole.

What would his brother think of him now? A freak, a man with metal legs, a sorrow in his soul that should have shattered him by now. Why won’t he let it? He has had many times to try, many chances to make it all stop. Why does he keep going forward?

 **“You need to leave.”**  Genji’s voice startles him, as it has for the past few months since it arrived.  **“Run away from this place, and never return.”**

“Where would I go?” His voice is soft, on the edge of breaking.

 **“Anywhere but here.”**  Genji sighs.  **“This is not your home. Not anymore. They have used you for their gains. Now it is your turn to do what you need to.”**

“Why should I? Perhaps...this is all I will ever be.”

 **“...You can change, brother. They changed you. So change yourself in return.”**  There is a pause.  **“This might be the last chance you have, to make it right.”**

He blinks, looking over to his brother’s empty bed.

**“If you stay here, they have won. They’ll have their puppet. But if you leave, they have lost their two heirs. They will have nothing. And, hopefully, they will tear themselves apart to find an answer of what to do next.”**

He is silent, before he makes his way across the room. He checks his pockets, finding his credits chip and his datapad. He scoops up a bag, grabbing some of his hidden snacks, and a few throwing knives he had hidden under his bed. He pulls two daggers out from under his pillow, looking them over. He had gotten them for a different reason, and now...he would use them to keep himself alive.

He wonders, vaguely, if that is what they call ‘irony’.

He hides the daggers on his person, moving over and opening the window. “...Here goes everything, I suppose.”

**“I will be right beside you, brother. As always.”**

He smiles faintly, looking over the room one more time. He mumbles a quick goodbye, before he climbs out the window. His legs whir as he makes his way over roofs and along walls towards his freedom.

Towards his future.


	8. 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble is a bit of an explanation of one of my headcannons for Hanzo: that his legs aren't prosthetics, but are in fact a combination of his legs previous and surgically added metal, wiring, and such. He does not have the plates on them that make them look how they do in the current timeline for a long time, but he does eventually get them.

[Massive angst. How Hanzo’s legs got the way they are. Involves Hanzo, random unnamed Shimadas, dragons. Long and fighty and not the nicest thing.]

* * *

 

Hanzo can’t fucking take this anymore.

He is furious, angry, all manner of words cannot truly cover how upset he is. He has felt this burning fury building for months, but it has finally reached a peak.

He sits, cross legged, on one of the perches that he and his brother used to shake. His bow is safely behind him, resting against the wood he sits on, quiver next to it.

He dealt with the anguish of killing his brother. He coped with not being permitted at his funeral. He handled the complaints about his mourning for the family he has lost.

He gently runs his thumb over the scars on his shins, a silent reminder of what has happened. The last thing his brother ever gave him.

This latest transgression is the breaking point, for him. The discovery as to why he wasn’t allowed at the fucking funeral. He feels the anger building again, a violent fire in his heart, his soul, that begs to be freed, pleading to be allowed to destroy those who have committed such a grievous offence.

They didn’t bury Genji’s body.

He discovered this on accident, overhearing some of the higher ranks of the Shimada laughing to each other as they discussed the younger.

Threw him out like trash - unworthy of even that small amount of peace-

The fire continues burning through his veins, and he wishes he could let it free. The fury of a dragon...was something that was as dangerous for the wielder as it was for those it was used against.

But the dragons had forsaken him months ago, and he was alone with his rage.

As he sits, eyes closed to hold back tears, he continues running his hands over the scars. His pulse pounds in his ears, as he tries to calm the raging storm in his heart.

It doesn’t work. All he can think of is exactly how he would destroy the ‘family’ that did this. He can see it clearly: who he would take down, how, and at the very end...himself. The end of the Shimada, brought down by the surviving heir who was betrayed by it.

He sighs quietly, shaking his head. This rebellious behavior...it scares him. He has never thought this way before. It was always Genji who disagreed with the clan, who thought for himself instead of following orders. For Hanzo to be thinking this way...what has happened to him? It...scares him, to think-

A hand on his shoulder startles him from his thoughts. Before he can even react, he’s yanked backwards, back slamming against the boards below him. His eyes fly open, and he rolls to the side, grabbing his bow as he looks for his assailant.

The man in front of him chuckles, but there’s no humor in it. “What are you up to, young ‘master’?” The sarcasm in his tone is obvious, as he plays with the dagger at his side. “Shirking your duties again? That is so unlike you.”

His eyes widen. He knows this person. “I was meditating. What do you want?”

“Aw, meditating? You sure that’s what you were doing?” The man chuckles. “Because if so, you’ve sure been doing that a lot.”

He narrows his eyes. “I meditate as much as I deem necessary. I am not required for any meetings today.” He quickly looks the man up and down. “What do you want?”

“Oh, just to check in on you, is all.” The man chuckles again, smirking. “Your scars aren’t still hurting, are they?”

He stills. “...Why are you-”

“Because, I mean, I know your bone is still fucked up. Bones, I mean. One in each leg, right?” The man looks too cocky to be safe. “Saw you rubbing the scars. Seem to do that a lot, kiddo.”

He narrows his eyes again. “...So this is it, then.”

The man laughs again. “Oh, you silly ‘wolf’...” He stands, resting his hand on his blade. “You really thought no one noticed? Your change in behavior? Your constant hiding in places you didn’t before?” He steps forward. “Did you think no one’s been watching you?”

He shoves himself to his feet, reaching behind him- He finds empty air where his arrows should be, looking around until he sees the quiver on the ground.  **Fuck.**

“You wouldn’t want to be ruled a traitor, would you, ‘wolfie’?” The man moves further forward, kicking the quiver. It rolls off the side of the building, a few scattered arrows remaining on the roof they stand on.

“Don’t fucking call me that!” He feels the rage building up again. “Only he can call me that!”

The man tsks. “Oh, Hanzo...you idiot. You do still care.” He chuckles, sliding his blade into his hand. “Guess I’ll just have to fix that.”

His glare gets stronger. “You have no control over feelings.”

“We have control over everything.” The man grins again.

Hanzo snarls, before letting out a cry of rage as he rushes forward. The man attempts a slice at him, but he hits the arm holding the weapon with his own. He moves forward, bracing his bow with his arm as he slams it into the man’s chest.

The man, winded, falls back, sprawling on the roof.

Hanzo takes a breath, before he moves again. He scoops up the arrows that remain, before leaping off the roof. He spins in the air until he faces the building, digging the claws in his boots into the wall. He winces as he slides down, before he pushes off and turns around again. He rolls, as he lands, more pain running through his legs. He takes off in a sprint across the courtyard, slamming a door open to rush up the stairs. He presses himself against the wall as he gets to the net floor, breathing rough.

“You can’t run forever, kid!” The man calls from across the grounds. “Push yourself too hard, and you’ll break!”

He growls, preparing an arrow. He smirks as the tip clicks, forming into an almost orb at the end. He fires it down the stairs, taking comfort in the blue lite it emits.

The man speaks again. “...What the hell is this, some kind of shield? The hell is this gonna do against a knife?” As he walks into the room, the light around him turns a deep red. He startles. “What the-”

Hanzo draws back another arrow, a normal one this time, and fires it down the stairs with a grin. He takes off after seeing the man collapse, scaling the wall of the outside stairwell with ease. He doesn’t know if he fired a kill shot, and most of him doesn’t care, but a part of him that’s given into the rage feels satisfaction in the attack.

He lands on the other side with anther roll, pain blossoming again through his legs. He forces himself forward, vaulting over a smaller wall to land in the grass below.

An arrow hits the ground in front of him, followed by two others.

He startles, snatching them out of the earth and taking off again, looking up where they had come from. He sees the archers and narrows his eyes, aiming as he runs. He fires off the arrows back at them, as he dodges new arrows they fire towards him.

The cries of pain, and thuds against the ground, might be the first thing to make him smile today.

He quickly scales another wall, scrambling onto the roof of the covered walkway. He makes a check of the remaining arrows he has, before he fires another at the open window.

The blue light covers the area, remaining blue.

He takes a soft breath, before he climbs through the window. He quietly makes his way along the wooden floors, avoiding the spots he knows will make noise, watching behind himself for more flying arrows. He lets out a breath of relief as he finishes scaling the stairs-

A fist connects with his face, sending him crashing to the floor. He groans, looking up at his newest attacker.

The woman above him grins. “Too distracted?” She kicks him hard in the side before he can reply, grabbing the front of his shirt.

He struggles in her hold, keeping his grip on his weapons.

She grins. “You tried, I’ll give you that.” She shoves him backwards, letting go.

He looks confused, for a moment, before he realizes that he’s falling. The slam to his back and head aren’t unexpected, but are still unpleasant, and it takes him a moment to readjust to where he is. When he realizes, his eyes open wide, and he scrambles backwards.

The inside of the castle, he realizes, looking around. His vision is still blurry from the hit to the head, as he moves, but...

He freezes, horror on his face.

He’s in the same place where he killed his brother. Not just the same space, but as he looks up, he realizes he’s lying right where his brother did, when he-

He swears, for a moment, that he sees himself standing there, rage and fear in his eyes, holding a sword above to stab down-

He screams, lifting his bow, drawing the arrow as much as he can, and firing.

It flies through the air, straight up. He takes a breath, as the him above him disappears. He startles after a moment, rolling to the side and covering his head. “ _Fuck!_ ”

The arrow he fired slams back into the ground, shattering where he was just moments before. The shattered parts go flying around the room, bouncing off walls and shattering even more, before they finally are still.

He looks around, hoping that the misfire will have dealt with the woman, but instead is met with another horrifying image.

Except this one is real.

As the red dragon flies towards him, maw open wide, he wonders just how much it will hurt. Will it be instant? Will the dragon just eat him, bite him in half and destroy his remains? Or will it tear him apart, and make him suffer as he dies? Do the dragons eat people? This one seems to want to try. Will he see his brother again? Or will he be greeted with nothingness for the rest of eternity?

The dragon grabs him by the shoulders, sending his bow and arrows flying as it slams him against the wall. It roars in his face, claws drawing blood, hot breath rolling over him in waves.

He’s terrified. “No! Let go! Let go!!” He squirms in the dragon’s grip, but that only wounds his shoulders even more. “Don’t- don’t do this!” The burning fury has changed, as fear overwhelms him. “I don’t want to die- I’m sorry!” He feels his left arm begin to burn, as he feels the blood dripping down his sides. “I’m sorry! I can’t help it-” The dragon’s teeth are far too close to his face, and it’s angry, and he’s about to die- “I can’t stop caring! I can’t, and I won’t!”

The dragon roars in his face again, mouth ready to strike him down, and he  _screams_.

The energy that bursts from him knocks the dragon back, sending him to the floor. He feels the energy wrap around his chest, before it rolls off above him, and he looks up in fear.

Two blue dragons are curled around him, snarling at the red one.

His eyes are wide. The dragons had forsaken him, not allowed him their powers, but...they still were saving him from death. Why?

The dragons don’t offer a reply, and he doesn’t expect one.

They uncurl from around him, rushing after the red dragon, chasing it out of the room. They take off after it, his rage following them.

He is left, exhausted, in a heap on the floor. He closes his eyes, trying to catch his breath. A woman’s laugh startles him, as well as a hand on his shin. He opens his eyes, looking for the source.

The woman from before is standing back, as an omnic grips his leg. It has a small dagger in it’s hand.

“You know...memory can be an awful thing.” The woman grins at him, crossing her arms. “Let’s get rid of some reminders for you, shall we?”

As the blade touches his skin, he can’t manage a retort. All he feels is pain, until his body finally gives out. As he fades into unconsciousness, he swears that for a moment, he can hear a voice.

**_“...Brother?”_ **

* * *

 

When Hanzo wakes up next, he is alarmed, and he roughly sits up, looking around the room. He recognizes it, the room that used to be his own, before Genji claimed to be lonely and convinced him to move into his room.

He’s in bed, a light blanket thrown over him, shorts and a t-shirt covering his frame. He realizes two things. One, these are not the clothes he was wearing when he was last awake. And two...He can’t feel his legs.

He rips back the blanket, wincing at the strain on his shoulders, before looking down at his bandaged limbs. What the hell happened? What did they do to him? He notices that his earlier statement wasn’t quite right. He can feel that parts of his legs are numb. And that parts next to those parts feel like nothing at all.

He slowly moves his hand down to his leg, tapping nervously at the bandages. He takes a breath of relief when he feels flesh under his fingers. He moves his fingers to the side, before tapping them again.

When he feels the metal under his fingers, he screams.


	9. 9

[Angst. Hanzo and Genji have an argument, right before the anniversary of the Event. Final Hanzo Fragment for this current event. Contains discussion of suicidal thoughts.]

* * *

 

Hanzo was starting to get a bit frustrated with himself.

His sleeping patterns has been rough for years, but as it got closer and closer to the date, it would always get worse.

This time, it was impressively worse. He hadn’t slept for a full night in weeks, and that certainly wasn’t helping his mood.

The loud voice that follows him everywhere wasn’t helping either.  **“Come on, brother. It will help to talk about it.”**

“Go away.” He trudges his way through the forest, ducking under tree branches.

**“I’m serious, it will help!”**

“Since when have we ever been on talking terms about personal issues?” His tone has more bite to it than he wants it to, but he’s too tired to care to much.

 **“Since I died, if you want to be a fucking asshole.”**  Genji’s tone is just as sharp.  **“I used to come to you all the time to talk about shit, but you never shared any of your own, did you?”**

“Shut up. If you are here to belittle me, just fuck off. I do enough of it myself as it is.” He almost runs into a tree, distracted with his annoyance.

**“Do you? Really? I never would have fucking guessed.”**

“Go away!”

 **“Maybe I can’t!”**  Genji snaps at him. **“Did you ever think of that??”**

He stops in his tracks.

**“Maybe I’m just stuck with you, forever! Maybe you’re not the one being punished here! Maybe this is all your fault!”**

“I know it is!” The loudness of his voice startles him.

It seems to startle Genji too, as he remains silent.

“I know this is all my fault! I was the idiot, I was the one who was wrong, I was the one who did this! Okay? I know! It wasn’t then, it wasn’t you, it was me! All me!!” 

His voice hurts from how loud he is, how much emotion is in his own voice. “I did this! I killed you! You want to know about the damn dreams? Fine! Here we fucking go!”

He takes an almost violent breath, gesturing with his arms as he talks. “The nightmares are about you! About what I did, what I could have done- Sometimes! You kill me instead! I like those ones! They’re my fucking favourites!!”

He’s having a breakdown, in a forest, alone, and he doesn’t care anymore. “Sometimes, I have dreams where I didn’t kill you! I die in those ones too, and then, oh man, then your fate always fucking changes! Haha!!”

His voice cracks, and he wants to hurt something from all the emotion he’s feeling. “Sometimes, they brainwash you until you’re like how I was, and you become the new leader of the Shimada! Sometimes, you feel guilt for what happened, and you fucking kill yourself to join me! And sometimes, they kill me in front of you, then slowly kill you too!!”

Genji sounds...wary...when he speaks. **“...Brother...”**

“No, Genji! You wanted to know! So there you fucking go!” His breathing is rough, and he’s barely holding back tears. He forces himself to start trudging forward again.

**“...You need some rest.”**

“You think?” He turns roughly, stomping off in a different direction.

They walk in silence, for a while, under the faint moonlight that trickles through the trees above.

“...Genji?”

**“Yes, brother?”**

He is quiet, as he thinks. “...I think...This will be the last year I visit.” His voice is soft, fragile, as if it could shatter at the softest touch.

**“Hanzo-”**

“Well...I mean...It’s been over ten years, and...I still have not been able to find a way to redeem myself. After this long...maybe there just is not a way. Maybe...I should stop trying.”

**“Stop-”**

“We will both be free then, right?” His voice cracks. “You, from me. And me, from the torture I force myself through every day.” He’s quiet for a bit. “...After this year’s visit, okay?”

Genji is silent.

He sighs, continuing forward. Genji has a few weeks to come around to the idea. He knows he will. If Hanzo had the ability to get away from himself? He would take it in a heartbeat. So he keeps going forward.

It’s all he can do.


End file.
